Signal-conveyer for hotels and other buildings



' (No Model.)

J. 0. BEARD. Signal flonveyerfo'r Hotels and other Buildings.

No. 229,081. Patented June 22,1880.

W1 E i W X;

PETERS. PNOTO-UTHOQNAPHER, WASHING'ION. D. C

" NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH O. BEARD, OF PINE BLUFF, ARKANSAS.

SIGNAL-CONVEYER FOR HOTELS AND OTHER BUILDINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 229,081, dated June 22, 1880.

Application filed April 16, 1880. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH G. BEARD, of PineBlufl, in the county of J eflerson and State of Arkansas, have invented a new Improvement in Signal-Oonveyers for Hotels and other Buildings, of which the following is a specification. t

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a building to which my improvement has been applied. Fig.2 is a sectional plan view taken through the broken line 00 as, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section of one of the hollow balls.

The object of this invention is to facilitate the communication of signals from the office to the rooms in hotels and other buildings.

A represents a pipe extending continuously through the varions'rooms of the building to the office with a continuous descent or inclination. The pipe A is provided with an opening, B, in each room through which it passes.

(J is a ball of hard rubber or other suitable material, and which is made of such a size as ,to pass readily through the openings B and pipe A and descend by its own weight to the office. The ball 0 is madein two parts or halves screwed together, as shown in Fig. 3, so that it may be readily -opened and a small piece of paper having a message or order written upon it inclosed in the said ball.

With the part of the pipe A that enters the office is connected the end of a branch pipe, D, the other end of which is connected with an air-tight box, E, in which is placed a signal or alarm bell of any ordinary construction.

The signal or alarm bell is sounded without opening the box E by means of a rod, F, passing through the side of the said box E.

The lower end of the pipe A should be provided with a cap, to be placed upon it when signals or alarms are to be given, so that the sound-waves can have no way of escape except through the pipe Aand through the openings B into the various rooms.

In using the apparatus anumberof the boxballs G and of pieces of paper bearing the number of the room are placed in each room. In each room is also placed the code of signals or alarms-as, for instance, one bell signifies dinner or other meals, two bells signify a fire-alarm, and so on for any desired number of signals.

With this arrangement, when the occupant of a room wishes to send a message or order to the office he writes the message or order upon 'a piece of paper, inclo'ses the paper in one of the boxballs 0 and drops the ball through the opening B into the pipe A. When the ball (1 reaches the office the said ball is opened by an attendant, the message or order is read and attended to, and the paper filed for reference.

With this arrangement a much smaller number of call-boys and porters will be required than when bells and wires are theonly means of communication, and the guest will be served much more quickly, as only one trip to the room will be necessary.

I am aware that it,is not new to make a communicating apparatus for hotels and other buildings consisting of a system of tubes leadin g from the different rooms to a common tube terminating at the office, and balls or arrows numbered to correspond with the numbers of the rooms, the messages being on the inside or outside, and being impelled by gravity or air.

"What I claim as new and of my invention 1s The combination, with the pipe A, descending continuously through the various rooms of a building to the office, and having an opening, B, in each room, of the branch pipe D and the box E, containing a signal-bell, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby signals and alarms can be sent from the office to the various rooms, as set forth.

JOSEPH CIGERO BEARD.

Witnesses:

LOUIS ANDREWS, ABE WEIGKLEIN. 

